From Deseret News archives:
Wildfire-burned areas of southern Idaho planted with seeds
However, it will likely take two years to repair the nearly 390 miles of fences destroyed in the Murphy Complex of fires.
Bill Baker, manager of the BLM's Twin Falls district, told a public meeting here Thursday that the district needs $2.2 million to repair the fences but only has $400,000.
The Murphy Complex of fires, started by lightning in late July, burned an area on the Idaho-Nevada border larger than Rhode Island. The fire blackened grassland used by cattle, and wildlife habitat that supports sensitive species such as sage grouse.
BLM officials said teams planted seeds on 63,000 acres before cold weather ended the work. Another 13,000 acres were seeded by aircraft.
Seeds planted include Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheat grass, yarrow and alfalfa.
A third of a planned 19,000 acres also was seeded with bitterbrush, and 48 erosion control structures were restored.
Public and state cooperation helped the effort, said Ken Crane, a BLM rangeland management specialist.
"We had to look at it in a practical sense," he told The Times-News. "It was just too big for us to run around and do it haphazardly."
Area ranchers rely on the burned area to graze cattle. Crane said it's unclear when cattle will be allowed back onto the burned acreage.
Stuart Murray, president of High Desert Ecology, said the BLM should recognize that large fires are becoming more common, and that returning the land to the way it was before the fire may not be the best plan.
"The way it was wasn't necessarily the best situation in the first place," Murray said.
Comments
- Haws playing like a veteran 12:36 a.m.
- Hot Rod behind mic for Lakers 12:35 a.m.
- Jazz go up against 'the best' 12:33 a.m.
- Sports on the air 12:26 a.m.
- Bobcats stun high-flying Nuggets 12:23 a.m.
- Utes finally get to host Michigan 12:18 a.m.
- Flash apologize, offer refund 12:12 a.m.
- Editorial: Leave the economy alone 12:12 a.m.
- Dishonest global warming scientists 12:12 a.m.
- Tensions in Ceuta 12:12 a.m.
- BYU football: Bronco weighs in on Hall
- Yet again, we learn BCS is a big joke
- Snow brings big chill
- Cougars in better mood about bowl
- Andersen apologizes for Jordan hoax
- Williams' late jumper tops Spurs
- Ranking the bowl games
- $2M error could mean layoffs
- Witness: Mitchell stalked victims
- Expert calls Mitchell delusional
- Y. profs: Beck not all-knowing
278 - Letters: Global warming a lie
214 - TCU to play Boise in Fiesta Bowl
205 - BYU football: Bronco weighs in on Hall
165 - Cougars going back to Vegas
148 - Utah/BYU rivalry can be more civil
143 - George lost in rivalry hatefest
119 - Andersen apologizes for Jordan hoax
110 - Harpring's NBA career is over
99 - Ed Smart 'appalled' at testimony
99
Is Angels Landing perhaps Utah's single most dangerous hiking trail? The...
It will be good to hear "real play by play or even as analyst with Joel...
i hope hot rod gets confused while doing the play by play and thinks he's...
The BCS bowl team match-ups aren't what you think. First, yes the top two...
Even Ed Gein was found competant to stand trial.
So Bronco's okay with the churches "standard bearers" spewing hatred. Wierd....
By putting TCU & Boise together that means that the other 3 BCS games will...
Ticky... Tacky...
The DNews requests the lists from the region coaches. Ask your coaches why...
This story brings back memories of an Ogden base ball team, who promiced if a...
GO UTES!!!


You can be the first to comment on this story.